one who knows his
business--will learn to cross and re-quarter their ground, turning to the
slightest whistle, and following the least gesture of the hand. I have
seen old dogs turn their heads to catch their master's eye, if they
thought the whistle too long deferred; and I lately lost an old Irish
setter, which had been stone deaf for his last two seasons, but which I
found no more difficulty in turning than any other dog, so accurately did
he know when to look for the signal."

162. To beat your ground _systematically_ with three dogs, you should
strive to make them cross and recross you each on a different parallel, as
just described for two dogs; but each dog must make a proportionally
bolder sweep--turn--or,

163. If you have plenty of space, you can make one dog take a distinct
beat to the right, another a separate beat to the left, and direct the
third--which ought to be the dog least confirmed in his range--to traverse
the central part,--and so be the only one that shall cross and recross
you. If one of your dogs is a slow potterer, and you prefer this method to
the one named in 162, give him the middle beat, and let his faster
companions take the flanks. In our small English fields you have not space
enough, but on our moors, and in many parts of the Continent, it cannot be
want of room that will prevent your accomplishing it. To do this well,
however, and not interfere with each other's ground, how magnificently
must your dogs be broken! In directing their movements, the assistance
that would be given you by each dog's acknowledging his own particular
whistle, and no other--275--is very apparent.

164. It is difficult enough to make three dogs traverse across you on
tolerably distinct parallels; and at a judicious distance between the
parallels you will find it hopeless to attempt it with more than three;
and one can hardly imagine a case in which it would be advantageous to
uncouple a greater number of good rangers. If, however, the scarcity of
game, and the extensiveness of your beat, or any peculiar fancy, induce
you habitually to use four dogs, hunt one brace to the right, the other to
the left; and, so far as you can, let those which _form a brace be of
equal speed_.[28] Your task will be facilitated by your always keeping the
same brace to one flank--I mean, by making one brace constantly hunt to
your right hand; the other brace to your left. The same reasoning holds
with regard to assigning to each d